NEW YORK, N.Y. - Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in the NBA, announced Wednesday his retirement from the league.The 35-year-old Collins made the announcement in a first-person story for Sports Illustrated. Its the same forum he used in April, 2013, to publicly reveal his sexuality and become the first openly gay man in any of the four major North American professional leagues.He joined the Brooklyn Nets in February and played 22 games for the team, but was not on the roster this season.It feels wonderful to have been part of these milestones for sports and for gay rights, and to have been embraced by the public, the coaches, the players, the league and history, Collins wrote.Collins started his career with the New Jersey Nets in 2001 and rejoined the franchise in Brooklyn. Nets spokesman Aaron Harris said Collins is expected to address the media at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night before the Nets game with the Milwaukee BucksBucks coach Jason Kidd was Brooklyns coach last year, and Collins singled him out for the courage he showed in bringing him on board.It had been argued that no team would want to take on a player who was likely to attract a media circus from the outset and whose sexuality would be a distraction, he wrote. Im happy to have helped put those canards to rest.Collins wore No. 98 during his final seasons in the league— 1998 was year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming — was killed.Collins said his most poignant moment came during his third game back last season, when he met Shepards family in Denver.Following Collins revelation, Missouri defensive end Michael Sam came out in February and was drafted by the NFLs St. Louis Rams. He was later cut by the Rams and was released from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad last month.In April, University of Massachusetts guard Derrick Gordon became the first openly gay player in Division I mens basketball.But Collins noted Wednesday that there are still no openly gay players in the NFL, NHL or major league baseball.He wrote that someday, when we get to the point where hes not compelled to hide his true self and is able to live an authentic life, being a gay athlete wont be a big deal.But were not there yet, he said. Jamie Oleksiak Jersey . There were no real chances until Augsburg broke the deadlock through Raul Bobadilla in the 33rd minute. Frankfurt failed to clear a cross and Bobadilla slotted home from close range at the far post. Tyler Seguin Jersey . Defenceman Tessa Bonhomme was among three players released from the team Tuesday morning along with defenceman Brigette Lacquette of Waterhen, Man. http://www.thedallasstarshockey.com/ale ... ey-jersey/. - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Julius Honka Jersey . -- A deflected pass that landed in DeSean Jacksons hands. Dino Ciccarelli Jersey . If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on.It seems Vancouver Whitecaps are making progress in their search for a new head coach. Former United States Mens National Team boss Bob Bradley now appears to be the lead contender for the position. Since parting ways with Martin Rennie at the end of the 2013 regular season a number of candidates have been interviewed by Vancouver but it was thought they were waiting to speak with Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis who is out of contract at the Utah club at the end of this year. Now though, it appears the man that tops their list is Bradley. The former U.S. National Team head coach reportedly interviewed with the Caps last weekend and is available for a new challenge after leaving his role with Egypt earlier this month following their failure to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Bradley would be a major catch for any MLS team. Its long been rumoured that he would be coaching in Canada next year, but Toronto rather than Vancouver looked the likely destination. Bradley has a resume that makes him one of the most experienced men to have coached in the North American game. He was an MLS original as an assistant to Bruce Arena in the leagues first season in 1996 and then won the MLS Cup and US Open Cup in his first MLS head coaching role with expansion club Chicago Fire in 1998. That season he was named MLS Coach of the Year. In 2003, the New Jersey native returned home for three years in charge of the New York/New Jersey Metrostars, and after a brief spell leading expansion side Chivas USA he was handed the top job with the United States. Bradleys time as U.S. head coach got off to a successful start winning the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, setting the tone for a strong spell in charge of the national team. They performed well at the 2009 Confederations Cup, finishing as runner up, and then won their group at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before losing in extra time to Ghana in the first match of the knockout stages. After leaving his post with the U.S. in 2011, Bradley took on maybe the most challenging role of his career, attempting to lead Egypt to qualification for Brazil 2014. Although, ultimately unsuccessful in getting the Egyptians to the World Cup, the way Bradley galvanized the team and dealt with an incredibly difficult ppolitical situation gained him many admirers around the world.dddddddddddd He meets all the criteria set out by the Whitecaps at the start of their coaching search. President Bob Lenarduzzi said some big name candidates have been turned away because they have no experience in MLS - its thought former Manchester City and England Under 21 boss Stuart Pearce expressed an interest in the position. With Bradley, they get the big name, international experience and a deep knowledge of the North American game. He wont come cheap, so it would be an appointment that would turn heads in MLS and prove to the rest of the league that the Whitecaps mean business. Should talks with Bradley break down, the Whitecaps can either wait to see if Kreis becomes available or turn to current assistant coach Carl Robinson to fill the vacancy. I have an enormous amount of respect for Robinson and I am certain he has a big future ahead of him in the game as a head coach. If the Whitecaps give him the opportunity, he wont let them down. However, Bradleys experience in MLS and at international level would be a massive benefit to the Whitecaps organization. Whoever takes the club forward will have a young squad to work with and also plenty of room under the salary cap for the new coach to put his own stamp on the team. The Whitecaps declined the contract options on eight players this week and there are still other big decisions to be made on key personnel. One such player is club captain Jay DeMerit who is currently out of contract. DeMerit was named to the United States World Cup squad by Bradley in 2010 so if the 55-year-old does take control it would almost certainly lead to a new deal for the defender. These are interesting times in Vancouver. With the 2014 schedule being released there is now a date on the horizon that everyone is building towards. On Saturday, March 8 the Caps will kick off at BC Place against the 2013 Supporters Shield winners New York Red Bulls (live on TSN), but there is much work to be done before then. The Whitecaps have been patient in their search for a new coach, but the next couple of weeks should finally provide the answer as to who will be leading the club heading into its fourth season in Major League Soccer. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '